Bhakti Fest is considered the ultimate playground for yogis. In particular, for bhaktas (devotional yogis). While Bhakti Fest 2018’s Joshua Tree desert playground may span 385 acres, this year I was attracted to a tiny outdoor classroom next to a small artificial pond. Sitting on the sandy ground, or perched at the rim of the pond, a variety of singers, drummers and musicians shared knowledge and tips about their practices. Of note, chanting improves heart rate variability. in other words, chant from your heart, and you’ll be chanting FOR your heart, and general well being.
Bhakti Fest’s Kirtan School spanned only four days, with two two-hour sessions daily. Each class had a different lead teacher for a great potpourri of kirtan key take aways.
As Gina Salá, one of the teachers said, “So many mantras. So much wisdom.” I’d add, So many artists. So much devotion. For the culmination of so much sangha (association/unity) of sound.
Your Divine Voice
Gina Sala at Bhakti Fest 2018
In a previous article of mine, Gina Salá spoke about music and devotion. A take away was that every voice is divine. Perfect.
Similiarly, in Girish’s Kirtan Class at Bhakti Fest 2018, he said, “There’s never been another voice like yours. The voice is expressing who we are. Free the voice. Free the person. Your personal growth and evolution is inseparable from your voice.”
To me, Gina and Girish have incredible voices. They hit a sweet spot in my heart. Yet, Girish considers himself a drummer. And, most drummers don’t sing. He focused on chanting during his five years as a monk living in an ashram. “It’s not about the artistry of music. It doesn’t matter how it sounds.” He emphasized, “It’s your call to your creator.”
Most noteworthy, Girish spoke of the science behind chanting. There is clear data to attest to the benefits of singing kirtan or chanting in groups, in particular.
Chanting for the Heart: About Heart Rate Variability
In fact, a recent study completed by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden noted that those who sang together had synchronized heartbeats. The head researcher explained that singing is a form of controlled breathing, not unlike yogic breathwork which leads to many benefits, including lung capacity and heart health.
Furthermore, Girish said, “When we sing in a group, our brain waves start to sync up. And heart beats too.” He talks about the phenomena called heart brain coherence, which has been investigated by the HeartMath Institute in California, and heart rate variability (HRV).
Girish at Kirtan Class, Bhakti Fest 2018
Harvard Health Blog contributor, Marcelo Campos, MD, explains the importance of heart rate variability. “HRV is simply a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. Over the past few decades, research has shown a relationship between low HRV and worsening depression or anxiety. A low HRV is even associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease. It is fascinating to see how HRV changes as you incorporate more mindfulness, meditation, sleep, and especially physical activity into your life.”
“We want a more adaptable heart rhythm,” added Girish, “as HRV is a biomarker of human health. One fantastic way to increase our HRV levels — and thus our overall health and resiliency — is to sing. And, in fact, chanting mantras increases HRV levels better than any other types of singing.” Again, Girish has scientific research to back this up. He explains that when you chant mantras, you follow a particular breathing pattern as referenced in the Swedish study. Clearly, the breathwork associated with Tibetan monks is far from that of acid rock.
However, Girish pointed to research comparing traditional chants from diverse religions and cultures such as Ave Maria and Om Mani Padme Om. “All have the same breathing patterns. It’s an amazing effect. These practices activate the parasympathetic system.”
Chanting in Any Language, From the Heart
So, you don’t have to be a bhakta yogi. As Girish jokingly said, believe it or not, “There are people out there who have never done kirtan … or yoga … or worn Lululemon. It’s not just the yogis. All the world’s spiritual traditions are doing some kind of mantra. So that tells me that it works.”
While there’s plenty of evidence-based insights as to why it works, when you look at a toddler or child singing a nursery rhyme, it’s pretty obvious. Singing, especially repetitive sounds, makes us feel good.
“The primal human instrument is the voice. You don’t have to go to a music school to find out where a middle C is,” said Girish.
Shiva Rae at Bhakti Fest 2018
Shiva Rae, also at Bhakti Fest 2018, told an intimate gathering of women there, “Your first mantra was in your mother’s womb (her hearbeat).” And, in many cultures, the drum represents the heart beat.
For the Mayapuris, the drum represents the sacred, too. In their Kirtan Class, the close-knit bhaktas from Florida explained the essence of the primal beats and their beloved mridanga.
“The drum is a manifestation of Balaram (Krishna’s brother). Sound vibration itself represents the lord. When we use our instruments in Kirtan we are dressing (up) the holy name, and the instruments are the decoration to attract us. The more that we offer our love, the more we will feel the syncopation,” they said.
“Something that runs through every culture is rhythm. Every tradition in every era on every continent has some form of collective singing, because it just pierces so clearly. These instruments are a vehicle.”
Chant the Holy Name
Mayapuris at Bhakti Fest 2018
However, the Mayapuris aren’t saying you can chant mumbo jumbo. “If you were to repeat Coca Cola or water water it’s not going to quench your thirst. When we repeat the names (of the lord) it’s ever-present. It just gets sweeter and sweeter, and more ecstatic. Kirtan is the absolute platform.”
The Mayapuris are Vaishnavas. For them, the names of Krishna and Radhe, among others, are supreme. “In our tradition, we say the name of the Lord until our voice chokes up. Spiritual life starts at the mode of goodness. With that vision, it’s easier to attain that realization. Kirtan is like a shortcut. We’re not worrying about someone’s culture, politics or religion. Kirtan, and in particular collective sangha. You get a little shortcut, like a machete cutting through. And, it’s accessible to everybody.”
“The first thing the chanting does is dust the mirror of maya (illusion). We just get so consumed and then we’re trapped. The things that get in our way, in our material brains, get pushed aside (with chanting). For this modern age, the scriptures say Kirtan is the dharma.”
In other words, just as Gina Salá and Girish say that everyone’s voice is divine, the Mayapuris say, “Anyone can take part and start to feel divinity.”
Bhagavan Das
Bhagavan Das’ spoken messages are sparse, but have maximum impact.
Austin Free Day of Yoga organizer, Mary Esther Middleton, encourages people to sample. “Because we offer such a wide variety of yoga teachers, styles and classes on Free Day of Yoga, there is a class for everyone – whether you are tall, short, round, thin, physically active or sedentary.”
About Free Day of Yoga
Swami Satchidananda’s inclusion at Woodstock was the brainchild of Sridhar Silberfein, who suggested spirituality was missing from the original Woodstock lineup. He also suggested taking this concept a bit further. Why couldn’t spirituality be the focus for a mass festival? The Swami agreed, and Sridhar recognized he had to make it happen.
A Valley girl, her mom died of breast cancer when she was just 16. That event reshaped her life in many ways. She moved south to live with her dad, a Latin band leader who was into health foods and Eastern religions. She took up meditation, and worked at a vegetarian restaurant. She read a book by OSHO, and made gospel music.
People connect with each other, and with Joshua Tree. “It’s the nature. Community. Expansiveness. Especially in today’s world. It’s a place that allows you to just be who you are, and not be judged,” explains Donna.
My childhood memories of one blind man’s challenges remain. They have, in part, spurred me to do my own seva (self-less service) for the Berkeley-based Seva Foundation. The fundraising promotion takes place in April. Around the world, yoga studios and instructors will encourage students to reflect upon the sense of sight. As such, I will be mentioning this worthy charity during my group classes. Additionally, when you book two private sessions* with me, I will donate the full amount of the second class to Seva.
Yoga guides you to connect your body and your mind. It should also teach you to be more respectful and considerate of others. My yoga foundations teach that seva, or karma yoga, is just as important as our breathwork or sun salutations. I try to practice seva in many ways.
For example, Seva’s programs have reduced the cost of cataract surgery to just $50, making eye care available to the global poor. Additionally, Seva services include training, technology and techniques for local doctors and community outreach personnel to provide services regardless of one’s ability to pay.
There are multiple ways you can contribute.
Janmashtami is an important Vaishnava holiday commemorating the birth of Krishna. A two-day celebration takes place this weekend at Austin’s 
These tales, and more, are depicted in illustrations from a San Diego collection.
To protect Krishna against a terrible prophesy, his birth parents entrusted him to Yashoda and Nanda. Krishna’s birth, and escape from the jail where he was born, are expressed in a watercolor circa 1560.
Kamsa sends demons out to harm baby Krishna. One of those demons is disguised as a crane, Bakasura. 
An opaque watercolor, from the mid 1700s shows Krishna explaining worship. There are multiple stories within the painting, representing how worship is passed on, from one to another. The eye is drawn to a colorful flower. At the yellow center of the flower, are Vishnu and Garuda. His attendants and other deities are pictured on each of the eight pink petals. 
As part of the Blanton show, there will be a sarod and tabla concert on September 21. Then, on September 22, there will be a lecture. 
Sneha, and abhyanga, are Ayurvedic methods of massage. At last month’s 
Laura told us, “To caress the body is a form of love. Not only is your skin going to get better, but at the deepest level, who you are you can be restored. There’s nothing wrong with you. Love is the healer.” We are all capable of self-healing, and are natural born healers. In Laura’s words, “You are the infinite…the light of the divine.” 
It should be noted that Ayurveda prescribes different oils, depending on one’s dosha. For example, I offset my cold/dry vata tendencies with sesame oil. That’s because sesame is considering heating, whereas coconut oil is better suited for hotter pitta types.
As a student of Vedic astrology, Laura suggested mixing oils in a glass jar, on a full moon. Then, let the moon “bathe” the oils, outside. Actually, that’s how I treated my crystals recently. 
A few years ago, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi made an appeal at the United Nations. As a result, 177 United Nations member states assigned 
While cities around the world honor this day with special public yoga and meditation practices, the UN will host two days of activities. The Indian Mission to the United Nations is responsible for the impressive lineup June 20 and 21.
person…the root of what’s happening and symptoms,” which she referred to as the leaves and branches. “The body knows what to do to heal itself.” And, she added that healthy bodies have a natural flow. Call it chi or prana, it’s the energetic life force.
Explained from a Western medical reference, Dr. Markus says that the endocrine system shuts down as a result of a hectic overburdened lifestyle. “Every time we break harmony, it leads a little bit of residue.”
Yoga therapy, Ayurveda and TCM are individual rather than one-size-fits-all prescriptions. There is no handy Rx reference sheet for practitioners. Hence, client/practitioner relationships are important. For example, I try to do lifestyle as well as postural and musculo-skeletal analyses. Then, seek root issues, and how to address them. 
Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa has conducted ions of clinical research. For decades he has studied the efficacy of yoga medicine for Alzheimer’s, back pain and a host of other disorders. I’ve attended workshops he’s led for yoga therapists in California. Now, he’s headed to San Antonio. For International Day of Yoga, Dr. Khalsa will lead a CME-Seminar for physicians, students and healthcare professionals. 
The guy who brought
For example 
Betty and Bill, are frequent Bhakti Fest-goers. The Canadian engineers created their own Kirtan band, 
She says Kirtan is a major draw. But, it goes far beyond that.